Best Public Policy Schools Near Lancaster, PA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lancaster, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $15,972 to $37,319 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 57,683. Median household income is $63,421 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning public policy-related role is Political Scientists at a median $140,020 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Lancaster

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public policy programs near Lancaster, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lancaster city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Lancaster. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA 17.1 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,399
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

York College of Pennsylvania

York, PA 23.5 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
66.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,012
Avg net price $18,556/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,588
Out‑of‑state$25,588
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg

Middletown, PA 25.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
41.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 98%
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $23,330/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,972
Out‑of‑state$26,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 37.7 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,258
Avg net price $23,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Ursinus College

Collegeville, PA 45.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
60.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,721
Avg net price $30,536/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA 51.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,517
Avg net price $31,490/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA 56.3 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,881
Avg net price $29,689/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA 58.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $111,371
Avg net price $28,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania public policy page.

Public Policy Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Lancaster, PA metro area (BLS area code 29540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $140,020 PA statewide $142,442
Management Analysts $96,210 Lancaster, PA $97,874
Economists $115,000 PA statewide $116,989
Social and Community Service Managers $77,390 Lancaster, PA $78,728
Survey Researchers $63,310 PA statewide $64,405
Compliance Officers $65,220 Lancaster, PA $66,348
General and Operations Managers $98,810 Lancaster, PA $100,519
Financial and Investment Analysts $90,650 Lancaster, PA $92,218

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Lancaster at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 57,683 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,421 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Lancaster, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Lancaster. The closest is Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA (17.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Delaware (38.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public policy roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Lancaster are: Political Scientists ($140,020), Economists ($115,000), General and Operations Managers ($98,810). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lebanon instead of Lancaster?

Lebanon, PA is 21.6 miles from Lancaster and has its own set of local public policy programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lancaster an affordable place to study public policy?

Lancaster’s median household income of $63,421 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Public Policy Programs

Other Programs Available in Lancaster

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lancaster:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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